2015 Toyota Corolla RZ on sale in Australia from $22,290

Following the release of the Toyota Camry RZ earlier this year, the local arm has now introduced a sporty Corolla RZ bringing a touch of attitude to the popular hatch.

Showcasing the fashionable ‘dark’ theme, the new Corolla RZ comes with around $2000 in added extras for only $1000 above the price of the standard Ascent Sport hatch. Revisions are made to the interior and exterior to present a more sporty look and feel.

On the outside, the Corolla RZ comes with special 16-inch alloy wheels painted in gloss black for that racy look, while the front bumper bar is updated to include black mouldings and a black grille, with black side trims and black highlights at the rear to match.

Jumping inside, passengers are welcomed by a 6.1-inch touch-screen interface with satellite navigation as standard, as well as unique RZ floor mats, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, and a six-speaker audio system.

The package comes with the standard powertrain for the Ascent, which consists of a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine producing 103kW of power. It’s matched up to either a six-speed manual or a S-CVT MultiDrive automatic transmission with a seven-speed sport mode.

So far this year Toyota Australia has sold 36,925 examples of the Corolla nameplate. It is on track to become the best-selling car of the year and is currently neck-and-neck with the Mazda3 (36,011). Prices for the RZ start from the following (excluding on-road costs):

Brett is the editor and founder of PerformanceDrive. He's obsessed with driving, having played with Matchbox cars until he was tall enough to drive a real one. After initially working as a mechanic, Brett earned a degree in journalism and entered media as an editorial assistant at Top Gear Australia magazine. He then worked at CarAdvice.com.au. His dream is to live next door to the Nurburgring in Germany.